Mister Pleasant

"Mister Pleasant" (sometimes written as "Mr. Pleasant") is a song recorded by British rock group the Kinks in 1967, written by Ray Davies.

"Mister Pleasant"
West German picture sleeve
Single by the Kinks
A-side"Autumn Almanac" (UK)
B-side
  • "Harry Rag" (US)
  • "This Is Where I Belong" (Europe)
Released21 April 1967[1]
RecordedFebruary 1967[1]
StudioPye, London
GenreRock,[2] music hall[3]
Label
Songwriter(s)Ray Davies
Producer(s)Shel Talmy
The Kinks UK singles chronology
"Waterloo Sunset"
(1967)		 "Autumn Almanac" / "Mr. Pleasant"
(1967)		 "Wonderboy"
(1968)
The Kinks US singles chronology
"Dead End Street"
(1966)		 "Mr. Pleasant"
(1967)		 "Waterloo Sunset"
(1967)

Background

"Mister Pleasant" is lyrically somewhat similar to the earlier track "A Well Respected Man", as it satirises the heedless complacency of a nouveau riche who, for all his newfound worldly success, is but a foolish cuckold. Musically, the song has strong English Music Hall influences and a "trad jazz" backing that features a trombone and ragtime-style piano (played by Nicky Hopkins).

Billboard described the single as "clever novelty material penned by Ray Davies with an easy dance beat in strong support."[4]

Chart performance

It was released as the A-side of a single in the USA and mainland Europe but not in the UK. It was released in the UK six months later as the B-side to "Autumn Almanac". The song is now available as a bonus track to their album Face to Face, and an alternate version was also released as a bonus track on the 2011 deluxe reissue of Something Else by the Kinks. Due to the Kinks' absence from American touring and the single's noncommercial sound, "Mister Pleasant" did not fare well in the USA, only managing a peak of number 80—their poorest showing since "See My Friends" failed to reach the Hot 100 in 1965—despite being tapped as likely Top 20 material by Billboard magazine. The publication characterized it as a "clever novelty" piece, which "should skyrocket the group back up to the top of Hot 100 once again."[5] "Mr. Pleasant" was much more successful in Europe, particularly the Netherlands (where it reached number 2) and Belgium (number 3).

While The Kinks mimed 'Mister Pleasant' on the European TV shows 'Fan Club' and 'Beat Club' in 1967 to promote the single, as well as recording it for the BBC in the same year, the only time it was documented as having been played live in concert by the group was at a New York concert on 27 March 1971.

B-sides

While USA B-side "Harry Rag" was included on the upcoming Something Else by The Kinks album (released in September), European B-side "This is Where I Belong" remained unavailable in the UK or USA. The track had been recorded with the sessions for Face to Face but not included (although it is currently available on the CD reissue, along with "Mister Pleasant"). It was made available in the USA on The Kink Kronikles in 1972 but was only released in the UK in 1984.

French EP

As 4-track EPs were much more common in France than 2-track singles, most Kinks singles were issued as EPs there, usually adding two album tracks. The EP for "Mister Pleasant", however, contained all exclusive tracks. As well as both sides of the European single (see above), the EP contained "Two Sisters" from the as-yet-unreleased Something Else by... and the debut of "Village Green" which only became available in the UK 18 months later on the album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society.[6]

Track listing

All tracks written by Ray Davies.

Side one
  1. "Mister Pleasant" – 3:00
  2. "This is Where I Belong" – 2:28

Side two
  1. "Two Sisters" – 2:00
  2. "Village Green" – 2:08

Personnel

According to band researcher Doug Hinman:[1]

The Kinks

Additional musicians

  • John Beecham or an unidentified session musician – trombone
  • Rasa Davies – backing vocal
  • Nicky Hopkins – piano

Charts
Chart (1967) Peak
position
Australia (Go-Set)[7] 30
Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] 35
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] 4
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[10] 12
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[11] 79
Denmark (Danmarks Radio)[12] 3
Germany (Official German Charts)[13] 12
Malaysia (Radio Malaysia)[14] 9
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[15] 2
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] 2
Singapore (Radio Singapore)[17] 3
US Billboard Hot 100[18] 80
US Cash Box Top 100[19] 64

Other versions

References
  1. Hinman 2004, p. 98.
  2. Shoemaker 2002, p. 174.
  3. Sullivan 2002, pp. 98–99.
  4. "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. 10 June 1967. p. 16. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  5. Billboard Magazine, 10 June 1967. p. 16
  6. Mister Pleasant EP at kinks.it.rit.edu, retrieved 17 February 2009.
  7. "Go-Set Australian charts - 30 August 1967". www.poparchives.com.au.
  8. "Every AMR Top 100 Single in 1967". www.top100singles.net.
  9. "The Kinks – Mr. Pleasant" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  10. "The Kinks – Mr. Pleasant" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  11. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 10083." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  12. "danskehitlister.dk". 9 April 2016. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  13. "The Kinks – Mr. Pleasant" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  14. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 24 June 1967. p. 55. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  15. "Nederlandse Top 40 – The Kinks" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  16. "The Kinks – Mr. Pleasant" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  17. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 26 August 1967. p. 57. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  18. "The Kinks Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  19. "Cash Box Top 100 7/22/67". cashboxmagazine.com. Retrieved 19 January 2021.

Sources
  • Hinman, Doug (2004). The Kinks: All Day and All of the Night: Day by Day Concerts, Recordings, and Broadcasts, 1961–1996. San Francisco, California: Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-765-3.
  • Shoemaker, Dan C. (2002). "Village Green Consternation Society: The Kinks and XTC vs. Fredric Jameson". In Kitts, Thomas M. (ed.). Living on a Thin Line: Crossing Aesthetic Borders with The Kinks. Rumford, Rhode Island: Desolation Angel Books. pp. 171–193. ISBN 0-9641005-4-1.
  • Sullivan, Patricia Gordon (2002). "'Let's Have a Go at It': The British Musical Hall and The Kinks". In Kitts, Thomas M. (ed.). Living on a Thin Line: Crossing Aesthetic Borders with The Kinks. Rumford, Rhode Island: Desolation Angel Books. pp. 80–99. ISBN 0-9641005-4-1.
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